The historic building at the corner of Queen and Broadview has been purchased by a developer

Riverside area residents are not sad to hear a long-standing strip club is closing down.

Early Tuesday morning, a developer announced it has purchased the historic building at the corner of Queen St and Broadview Ave, which houses Jilly's.

Streetcar Developments says it is closing down the establishments.

Many people who live and work nearby were shocked to hear the news, but relieved.

"It's a bit of a pariah," one local business owner says of Jilly's.

Carmela, who works in a children's centre across the street, says some of the 10-year-olds know that "the ladies dance on the tables," but she directs any questions to their parents.

Originally built in 1893, the building became a meeting place for visiting Shriners and Masons, who rented rooms.

The building then became known as the Broadview Hotel, and as the Lincoln Hotel for a time around 1933.

It is now a boarding house, with the strip club at street level.

Streetcar has not said what the building will now house, only saying that the company doesn't envision a condo at the location.

Rick Auiler, co-owner of An Sibin Irish pub across the street, says he hopes a boutique hotel moves in. There have been rumours in the past that Drake was considering opening up an east-end location there.

"For a number of reasons, I think the whole neighbourhood will be happy to see Jilly's go," he says.

Whatever the strip club is replaced with, the news of an onwership change has the neighbourhood buzzing.

"To hear it's been sold and not knowing what it's going to become is a mystery," area resident William says.

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Did you see the poll? the biggest % set at "Who's Jilly". This is a major change in the neighborhood for the better. It will be better without Jilly's for families and children. Property value will go up for sure as it get stomped around there for reasons not needed to be explained. As a Dad, I don't want my kids to be around places like these.

@don was right
The real problem in Leslieville is that the original residents can no longer afford to live there. What was once a very inexpensive area where the poor could buy a house, there was even a tax reduction in this area until 1979 so that WWI vets could afford a house, has become too expensive for them to stay. With house prices down there now $600k to over one million, their houses have been reappraised and their taxes have gone up by as much as 500%...some more. The old folks can't afford that.

Combine that with the growing China Town at Broadview and Gerrard, the area around Jilly's is not white family friendly. So why all the negative comments?

@Lisa
They're all gone...forced out years ago. Most of them are now on a few blocks on either side Bathurst from King to Dundas. Check out the alleys that run behind those streets, but not alone. They're there because of places like St. Christopher's House, two drug clinics, drop in centres, a walk in clinic for the homeless, and many more city, church, and charity organizations. EMS has a morning run around 6:30 AM picking up the sick, those that OD'd, and the bodies of those that didn't make through the night.

Sadly, the condo owners in those Freed towers are terrified to go out at night, there's been several fatal shootings, stabbings, and aggressive panhandlers on every corner. No idea why people live there in those glass towers.

Little India is on the decline...most of the stores are bordered up and the residents have moved to Brampton and Malton. Most of the city's ghettos have moved to the suburbs, even Polishtown, now centred in Mississauga.

In younger days, many men never went to Toronto strip bars because they were tamer than those outside of the city. Last one I attended was at my stag, well over 18 years ago. Work is about 5 minute walk from here, never had the pleasure.

good morning to you all, I am the Princess of Jilly's, I was deemed this title a few years back as I hung out my tower window smoking a cigarette as I do quite often, When word of this name got around to my friends it just stuck. Some of you who live in this area might have seen me doing so or you may have seen me walking in my building with my son in arm. Yes I know I look's like I'm walking in to a strip club with a baby but I'm actually walking in to my front door. When you come in the first door with the sign that says exotic dancers you come to 2 very different doors. One leads to the bar and the other to the hotel. Same building, 2 very different places. Quite often I got dirty looks and the odd time I will get a nasty comment but I never bother to defend my self because there are some people who will only judge and never listen, so I just smile and say have a nice day. I bet right now some of you are thinking what a horrible Mom, she lives above a strip club in a drug den. The strip club part may be true but the drug den not so much, there are very strict and enforced rules here that there are no drugs allowed. Most the people who live hear have job's and others have used this place to get off the streets. Some times you may see a person hanging around here that seem like they are hopped up on drugs but actually we have a few people who live hear with mental illness, this is one of the few places someone can afford to live on a disability check and still be close to all the resources they need to survive. I my self live in the tower witch I call my little house in the sky. It has 4 floors, a full kitchen, laundry room, full bath room, living room, roof top patio, very large bed room, secret room in the peek of the tower and a magnificent view. When I close my front door I'm pretty much shut out from the hotel it's self since the tower goes up so high I can't even hear if some one knocks on my door unless I'm on the first floor. Now let's talk about the bar. Most of the woman who work in any strip club any where it is not their only job, a lot of woman wake up in the morning go to their first job and some days come home pack a bag of sexy cloths and work the pole at nights for extra money just to get a little ahead in this expensive world we live in today. Some woman are single mom's doing the best they can and others are married with children being bread winners of there house hold. Some woman are foreigner who's degrees and education are not recognised in Canada. All in all every one who works here has a story, a reason and the right of free choice to be here and do what they do. The people who come here to drink are not all "vermin" they are people of all sorts, men and woman, some are regulars who have lived in Leslieville longer then I have been alive have been coming here for years. Others wear a suit and tie. When the Opera House lets out people come from there to keep their parties going, every one comes hear for a good time and that's what they get. It's really no different then the rest of the bars on this strip oh wait it is, girls in the other bars get drunk and take their clothing off for free and for attention. At least at Jilly's woman get paid for doing that and in my mind that is very in-powering and not degrading. I'm sorry that some of you think this place is a nets of bad people, I'm not saying every one here is good and going to heaven but a lot people who want Jilly's gone your wish has come true. Even though my home has been a bad influence to your children long before they were born and you lived here every thing that has gone on has been behind closed doors. In a few months you will see an increase of homeless on the streets around here because this neighbourhood for some is all they no and with the gentrification going on in this area it is not possible to find affordable housing any more. You might even see more hooker on the street corners now that Jilly's will be gone since sex sell and there will now be a demand for it around these parts. I personalty I'm sad to have to leave my home that I have lived in for many year and I know I will never find a place as cool as this but the building is in bad shape and is in desperate need of repair. My sadness is over come by the joy of knowing it is going to be made beautiful again and if I can I would love to be able to come back in and see this leaky old place done up like a palace some day. As of now I do not have any place to go but this is not the first time in my life that I have had to leave a community I love because it became to expensive to live in over night. That is what they call gentrification folks and trust me no one wants to be poverty but in a way I'm kinda glad I am, it's shaped me in to a person that understands and never judges and given me the ability to find bright sides even in the darkest places. Once again I'm so sorry to have lived and supported this "eye sore" that has been here long before you moved in on Queen and Broadview. It sucks that having your children see a strip club from the out side is going to impact their up bringing so much. I wonder how it will impact the children who's mothers work and rely on the money they make here. Talk to you all in a few months when your complaining about the increase of homeless on our streets. Sincerely yours the Princess of Jilly's

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